Graham Cantwell’s IFTA-nominated LGBT drama Lily has been selected to compete for annual LGBT short film award the IRIS PRIZE, the world’s largest LGBT short film prize. Presented annually during the October film festival of the same name in Cardiff Wales and dubbed the LGBT Oscars, the winner will receive a £30,000 prize funded by The Michael Bishop Foundation.

Cantwell commented: “The Iris Prize is the blue riband event on the LGBT festival circuit, so to be chosen to compete with such an incredible selection of films is truly an honour. Our inclusion in the festival, the Iris Outreach programmes and the Iris partner festivals will help us to bring our anti-bullying message to a much wider audience.”

Lily has had a very successful run on the international festival circuit worldwide. and upcoming festival screenings include Taiwan, Barcelona and Kansas.

The film tells the story of Lily, a girl with a secret, on the cusp of becoming a young woman. With her best friend, the fiercely loyal and flamboyant Simon, she navigates the treacherous waters of school life. When a misunderstanding with the beautiful and popular Violet leads to a vicious attack, Lily is faced with the greatest challenge of her young life.

Lily was produced by Sharon Cronin, executive produced by Film Venture, Filmbase and Powerscourt Pictures and was shot on location in Dublin. The film is internationally distributed by Network Ireland Television.